KIANEWS 
CES or the International Consumer Electronics Show is the premium event of the technology sector. It will take place between January 9 and 12, 2024 at the usual location, the Las Vegas Convention Center, where HMD Global, or HMD America, will now also be present. This year, the Finnish company that operates Nokia-branded devices rented a booth in Murano 3201A, which is the location of the meeting. Last year, HMD struck a similar deal and unveiled several US-based devices.
The Better Phone Project - The first phone made by parents together for children
24. 07. 2024 Wednesday / By: Robert Denes / Reviews / Exact time: BST / Print this page
HMD plans to tackle the problem with new devices, including a new phone, and wants parents to get involved in creating a solution that works for them as part of The Better Phone Project. Technology innovator HMD is creating a phone as an alternative to a smartphone so parents can monitor their child's screen time and social media usage. The goal is to protect the mental health of the next generation with a phone that parents created together to protect their children and ensure a better balance.
The field of digital detox is one HMD is familiar with, having spearheaded the dumb phone trend by reimagining feature phone classics for modern consumers looking to limit screen time and social media use.
The phone maker is now looking to work with parents to co-create a phone and other new solutions that will be authentic smartphone replacements and allow parents to monitor their child's screen time and social media use.
Lars Silberbauer, CMO of HMD, said: "The Better Phone Project is a journey to discovering a variety of solutions that tackle digital overload, providing choice and balance. Our goal is to collaborate with parents and experts to develop solutions that truly meet people's needs, driving innovation in this space."
Commenting on The Better Phone Project, expert Dr Becky Foljambe, Founder of Health Professionals for Safer Screens, said: “Exploring the depth and breadth of emotion alongside the need for solutions (when 38% parents are feeling there are ‘no solutions’ according to the research results), makes this a very meaningful and impactful initiative by HMD. My feelings reading this research is that it goes some way to de-stigmatising parents, and releasing the ill placed blame that seems to be being piled on parents to police and supervise these devices at home and be across all technological advances to protect children, when the reality is the technology to protect these children could be improved. Solutions are urgently needed and we commend HMD for exploring these in a pragmatic and honest way.”
Joe Ryrie, Co-founder of Smartphone Free Childhood, said: "We’re delighted that HMD is committed to addressing the glaring gap in the market for child-friendly phones through this project. Their research into children and smartphones is yet more evidence of the impossible position that parents find themselves in today; We either give our children access to a device they might not be ready for, or choose not to and risk alienating them from their peers.
“It’s an issue that the 100,000+ parents who’ve joined our community since February are battling with on a daily basis, and we know that solving it requires a collaborative effort between parents, children, government and tech companies.
“Parents in our community are crying out for a phone which is desirable to children but isn’t designed to steal their attention. So we’re very excited about collaborating with HMD to help define what a modern child-friendly phone should be.”
HMD is also working with a range of experts, campaigners and parent support groups to better understand the solutions needed. They all participate in global webinars and forums to ensure collaboration and co-creation are at the heart of HMD's The Better Phone project. You can sign up to participate at https://www.hmd.com/en_int/better-phone-project.
As part of The Better Phone Project, HMD commissioned new global research to provide insight into the dilemmas parents face when it comes to their children and their smartphone use. The results revealed that 11 is the average age at which a parent hands their child a smartphone for the first time - but many admitted they wished they had waited longer.
A worldwide survey of 10,000 parents in the UK, US, India, Germany and Australia found that more than half of those surveyed said they regretted exposing their children to smartphones at such a young age. One third of the respondents cited the negative effects of the device and personality changes as the main reasons. There have been ongoing concerns about the impact of social media apps, which often go hand in hand with smartphones, on children.
A staggering 70% of parents surveyed admitted that their smartphone-free childhood means they spend more time with their family - but it's quality time their children aren't experiencing: 55% say their child's phone use is a source of big arguments, and a third have seen their child cry because of his phone obsession. 64% of parents surveyed say smartphone use has a negative impact on their child's sleep, 61% say it reduces the amount of physical activity they get, and more than half (54%) worry that it reduces time spent socializing with friends.
With more than half of parents agreeing that smartphones can have a positive effect on their children and benefit them educationally - including keeping in touch with friends - parents are clearly faced with a dilemma. Technology innovator HMD is now looking to understand these challenges and offer new and innovative solutions that can work for parents, their children, Gen Z or anyone looking for authentic alternatives to smartphones.Other key takeaways from the global survey include that nearly 75% of parents worry that smartphones are exposing their children to online dangers, and more than half admit they don't know what their child is up to when using their phone.
Almost half of the parents believe that the use of mobile phones has changed their child's personality, and a third of them claim that their child's body image problems he's worried about his phone.